Why John Fetterman’s Promise to Decriminalize Drug Use in Pennsylvania isn’t Going to Help Our Cause
When I first heard about Mr. Fetterman’s promise to decriminalize drug use in Pennsylvania, I thought, “Awesome! That’s a step in the right direction, at least.” So why did I vote for Dr. Memmet Oz?
It’s not because Dr. Oz is a Republican, or because Fetterman is a Democrat, whereas I’m a classical liberal (which is more closely aligned with conservative values today).
I voted for Dr. Oz because I believe that drug use should be legal, not merely decriminalized. Decriminalization implies that the underlying behavior (in this case merely possessing a substance) is still morally wrong, but not so reprehensible that it should be criminal. For example, prostitution should be decriminalized. Alcohol should remain legal for adult consumption. This difference may seem trivial, but it’s anything but.
The Difference is Fundamental
This difference is fundamental to our cause. If we’re going to achieve our goal of full-scale legalization of all drugs, we need to first change the public opinion on drug use. Think about the images that are associated with, say, Budweiser. If you’re anything like me, you’re thinking of summer afternoons with your friends and family, grilling some burgers and having a cold beer.
Now, think about heroin. What mental pictures come to mind then? Not so happy, are they? That’s what needs to change. The public perception isn’t going to be changed because there’s no plan in place to remedy the lethality of the current drug supply. John Fetterman isn’t going to do any of the work that’s required to make this happen. All he’s going to do is remove the penalty for drug use. Removing this without doing anything about the supply of drugs is reckless and dangerous. People are going to die.
What’s going to happen now is drug use is going to increase, but without any of the other myriad social changes that should accompany this change, the result will be more death and destruction. Drug use may not land you in jail, but all the other activities associated with illicit drugs are still there. Selling drugs is still going to be a crime. Without a safe supply of drugs, but no legal deterrent to their use, many thousands of people are going to die of absolutely preventable drug overdoses.
Then, after two years of failed so-called “drug reform legislation” (which is what this will be from a technical perspective), the anti-drug rhetoric will return, and all of the resultant death that this failed policy will cause will be used as evidence for even more draconian drug laws.
Fetterman isn’t going to help our cause. By legalizing drugs without addressing any of the other underlying issues behind this issue, he’ll just be sending many more people to an early grave, and setting us back years.
